Buzz Lightyear and Friends (detail), Asa Medhurst
At heart my work explores a tension of contrasting fine art styles and sensibilities. Whilst enamored with Renaissance style; it’s love affair with the romantic and concept of idealized beauty, I find equal merit in more contemporary aesthetics of impressionism, expressionism and realism in twentieth century Western painting, in conveying the beauty of the every-day.
In painting the still life I search for an unchanging ‘quintessence’ of the subject matter within the ultimately disposable artifacts of a mass produced age. I feel these temporary objects of a plastic childhood and landfill future are as worthy of attention as any finely crafted wares of the renaissance period.
In painting the portrait I look for the quintessence of the sitter, an immutable permanence full of drama and life. That which remains whether agonizingly scrutinized over hours of candlelight observation, or surgically examined and flash-photographed under neon strip-light.
My work explores a love affair with the sustained gaze afforded the painter in a digital age of limited attention span. That and the attempt to somehow capture life on a surface of paint and canvas.
Date of Birth: 06.01.1973
Education
2009 – 2011
Lavender Hill Atelier School of Painting
2005 – 2011
Princes Drawing School, Drawing a Head under James Lloyd
1992 – 95
Kent Institute of Art & Design, BA Communications Media / Illustration
1991 – 92
Kent Institute of Art & Design, Foundation Year
Graduating from KIAD in 1995, Asa emerged into the exploding digital landscape of Web design. Landing a high profile job in booming dotcom agency OnlineMagic (later Agency.com) he immersed himself in all things web – from design, 3D imaging, Flash animation to award winning Interactive TV projects (Oneshow Award Silver Pencil – British Airways).
After various big company stints, Asa eventually returned to illustration with new digital skills. However, despite best intentions and commercial retainers something didn’t quite fit.
Perhaps it was burn out from too many glossy products on seductively lit reflective apple-surfaces, but something essential was missing.
Hence a return to natural media, with ongoing study at the Princes Drawing School, and Lavender Hill Atelier School of Painting, and emerging career as fine artist.
